The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-06-02
THE QUESTION OF LOCAL OP-
TON.

the whether it is better K
endure the ills that we now have (mor.
imaginary than real perhaps or return
to the old order Of things that VA
know full we'll of. nShall local oDtior
prevail, and whiskey be restricted t.
the channel through which it now
flows, or will the liquor traffic be sane
toned by public opinion and barroo
be again open on our public streets p
IS the question that agitates the public
mind just now. And this question I:
to be decided at the polls next Monday
This is matter for the people to de-
termine, and it will be done, one way
or the other, by majority of the vo-
tiers of the town. And this should be
done deliberately and dispassionatly,
each man weighing the matter care
fully and considering it in all its diff
ferent aspects and then acting upon
principle and the dictates of his con-
science. If you believe whiskey is a
blessing to mankind, and its sale
morally as well as legally right ; if
you believe bar-roomS are a benefit to
a community, and the town has not
prospered under local option, no man
should question your motives in voting
to continue them On the other hand,
if you think the liquor traffic as at
present restricted has a tendency to
check drunkenness and preserve order;
that the town has been benefited by
local option, then you should vote to
sustain it.
AS is we'll known the GOLD LEAF
has never been "redhot" on the qucs-
ton of local option. Upon general
principles we do not favor purely local
measures. Still, it is no friend to
whiskey, and when it comes to dicid-
ing between right and wrong, between
good and bad, between justice and in
Justice, between that which tends to
protect the public morals, elevate So
ciety and benefit the human race, it |
has no difficulty IN making up it's
mind what to do and so we were will
ing to give local option a trial, and |
voted for it last year. And now we
are fair enough to accord to it all the
credit that belongs to it. Last year it
vas claimed that if the town went dry
t would be killed-trade would fall off.
provisions would be higher, and gen
eral stagnation and depression would
,esult. Then many Of our citizens
believed, that to close the le-
5allzed saloons would seriously iniure
he business of the town, without &C
;omplishing the good intended. They
plainly foresaw, they thought, that to
lose the bar-rooms in town, would be
MY to drive them to the outskirts be-
'ond the corporate limits and away
rom under police regulation. This
esult would not bring any good that !
hey could see. Believing this, they {
asst their votes against local option, !
nd were just as honest in doing so,
nd entitled to just as much respect, {
S the peace-loving, God fearing pro-
ibitionists who cast their ballots
gainst the saloons compelling them
close up business. Yet, in SO vot- t
ng they did not mean to join them |
elves with any lawless element, or
hose who vote for personal aggran =
Izement or as their appetites dictate. c
hey simply intended to express the t
onviction that the law would work S
0 good and would hurt the business {
the town. =
But has this been so? We think {.
OF. 1t was argued that prohibition d
ould not prohibit-that people who n
rank whlskey would have it, bar !,
'oms or no bar-rooms. Very true, y,
a great extent nor do the friends q
local option seek to prevent men p
pm drinking, if they want to. None VI
these objections are pertinent to the e !,
lestion at issue. The matter simply -
solves itself to this: whether it is not
tier to have local option than IL tt
Used bar-rooms. What the local "a
tlonists seek is simply to prohibit a.
lndlscrlminate sale of liquor within or
town-to keep the public dram &C
Dps away from our midst. We have tn
perlenced the working of local op- tn
n tor one year, and while it cannot ~
denied that the law has been vio- G
ed; that there has been whiskev NJ
mixing and drunkenness that the ST
TEN is not without its lmperfections 50
! objections still, we believe su'